Between 90 and 110mm of rain was expected to fallbetween 9pm on Tuesday and 6pm on Wednesday, especially around the eastern ranges.
This was expected to peak at rates of 10 to 20mm/h on Wednesday afternoon, with severe south to southwest gales gusts likely reaching 120km/h in exposed places.
He said the house had been dried out since and they were in the process of replacing carpets and creating an inventory of the damage.
They were rearranging downstairs to keep everything safe if water got in again, trying to be positive and proactive.
"I've been very busy since, looking at different ways to prevent water coming in at all."
He was concerned about the impact a second flood could have on his insurance.
Rotorua resident Chris Parnell set up a barrier with sandbags and tarpaulin ahead of the storm. Photo / Supplied
"It's a frustrating thing because you're living with something that's not going to go away unless there's good spend on infrastructure."
While he appreciated the sandbags provided by the council, he said it was a plaster to the wider issue of stormwater drains that, in his view, did not work properly.
"I'd say the council can't do anything to alleviate people's fears and worries, or actually fix the problem without significant investment."
Glenholme resident Ceryn Hutin's family of four hired a skip bin to dispose of furniture and family memorabilia destroyed in the flood three weeks ago.
"I don't think we'll be sleeping much," she said of Fili's approach. She expected to get up throughout the night to check on water levels.
She said she was not as worried about this storm as the ruined carpets had been ripped out and 30cm of gib from the bottom story had been taken out, yet to be replaced.
Their washing machine also had not been replaced.
Sandbags were dropped off on Monday, having been requested from the council.
Rotorua's Ceryn Hutin disposed of furniture and family memorabilia destroyed in flooding last month. Photo / NZME
She said a council official visited the family last week, two weeks after the flood.
Hutin said they were told, "basically, we have to figure out ourselves what we're going to do".
She said the options they had were lifting the house, which was not financially viable, or building a wall - neither guaranteed to work.
She was awaiting contact from the council's consents team to discuss further options.
Huntin said the council told them the house came with a 150-year flood warning when they bought it last year after it flooded in the 2018 storm.
"That's different to having one every four years."
She was "furious to [her] core" with the council's response after the recent flood.
The family would not consider moving until their youngest left home.
"To be honest, I wouldn't want to sell a house that's going to cause problems. That's not the right thing to do."
Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure and environment deputy chief executive Stavros Michael said $75 million was being invested in stormwater over the next 10 years.
Rotorua Lakes Council infrastructure and environment deputy chief executive Stavros Michael. Photo / NZME
Central and western Rotorua were among the priority areas for upgrades, which could be delivered sooner if Government funding applications were successful.
The council was waiting to hear the outcome of its applications to the Government's Infrastructure Acceleration Fund for funding totalling $100 million for stormwater investment in the priority areas.
Proposed work included the development of detention dams to manage stormwater during weather events, upgrades to the stormwater pipe networks and improvements to pump stations.
Michael said there had been an increase in the frequency and severity of rainfall events in recent years and there were areas of the city that were more prone to flooding.
"We understand the concern and anxiety this creates for affected residents and we are working towards long-term solutions that will help to lessen the risk of residential areas flooding."
He encouraged concerned residents to contact the council to discuss any immediate assistance it could provide as well as any potential viable, longer-term solutions.
